Recovered paper — Production in China, mainland

China, mainland: Recovered paper — Production was 69.72 million t in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
69.72 million t
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
2nd
of 166 countries
All-time high
69.72 million t
in 2024
All-time low
569,000 t
in 1976
Years of data
55
1970–2024

Recovered paper — Production in China, mainland, 1970–2024

020.0M40.0M60.0M197019972024

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in t.

Analysis

China, mainland recorded 69.72 million t for recovered paper — production in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 44.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, recovered paper — production in China, mainland peaked at 69.72 million t in 2024 and was at its lowest, 569,000 t, in 1976.

That places China, mainland 2nd out of 166 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Recovered paper — Production in China, mainland, year by year

Annual values for Recovered paper — Production in China, mainland, 1970 to 2024.
Year t Change
1970 642,000 t —
1971 682,000 t +6.2%
1972 718,000 t +5.3%
1973 727,000 t +1.3%
1974 595,000 t -18.2%
1975 579,000 t -2.7%
1976 569,000 t -1.7%
1977 639,000 t +12.3%
1978 718,000 t +12.4%
1979 807,000 t +12.4%
1980 907,000 t +12.4%
1981 1.02 million t +12.3%
1982 1.15 million t +12.4%
1983 1.29 million t +12.4%
1984 2.00 million t +55.6%
1985 1.72 million t -13.9%
1986 2.15 million t +24.4%
1987 2.34 million t +9.0%
1988 3.04 million t +30.2%
1989 3.56 million t +16.9%
1990 4.17 million t +17.1%
1991 4.80 million t +15.2%
1992 5.28 million t +10.0%
1993 5.28 million t +0.0%
1994 7.34 million t +39.0%
1995 8.25 million t +12.3%
1996 8.25 million t +0.0%
1997 8.76 million t +6.2%
1998 8.88 million t +1.4%
1999 12.10 million t +36.3%
2000 10.55 million t -12.8%
2001 10.02 million t -5.0%
2002 13.39 million t +33.6%
2003 14.61 million t +9.1%
2004 16.53 million t +13.2%
2005 18.01 million t +8.9%
2006 22.63 million t +25.6%
2007 27.65 million t +22.2%
2008 31.28 million t +13.1%
2009 36.76 million t +17.5%
2010 40.16 million t +9.3%
2011 43.47 million t +8.2%
2012 44.73 million t +2.9%
2013 43.37 million t -3.0%
2014 48.41 million t +11.6%
2015 48.32 million t -0.2%
2016 49.63 million t +2.7%
2017 52.85 million t +6.5%
2018 49.64 million t -6.1%
2019 52.44 million t +5.6%
2020 54.93 million t +4.8%
2021 64.91 million t +18.2%
2022 66.42 million t +2.3%
2023 67.37 million t +1.4%
2024 69.72 million t +3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 667,600 t 569,000 t 807,000 t 10
1980s 1.92 million t 907,000 t 3.56 million t 10
1990s 7.31 million t 4.17 million t 12.10 million t 10
2000s 20.14 million t 10.02 million t 36.76 million t 10
2010s 47.30 million t 40.16 million t 52.85 million t 10
2020s 64.67 million t 54.93 million t 69.72 million t 5

Countries ranked near China, mainland

  1. 1 China 73.29 million t compare
  2. 3 United States 40.69 million t compare
  3. 4 Japan 16.66 million t compare
  4. 5 Germany 12.40 million t compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More environment data for China, mainland

All data for China, mainland →

Frequently asked questions

What is recovered paper — production in China, mainland?
Recovered paper — production in China, mainland was 69.72 million t in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest recovered paper — production recorded in China, mainland?
The highest recorded value was 69.72 million t in 2024.
What is the lowest recovered paper — production recorded in China, mainland?
The lowest recorded value was 569,000 t in 1976.
How does China, mainland rank for recovered paper — production?
China, mainland ranks 2nd out of 166 countries with data for 2024.
Is recovered paper — production rising or falling in China, mainland?
Over the last ten years it is up 44.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China, mainland data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Recovered paper — Production. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).

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Recovered paper — Production in China, mainland. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/recovered-paper-production/china-mainland/

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About this data

Indicator
Recovered paper — Production
Unit
t
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
195 places, 7,959 data points, 1961–2024
Last refreshed

The database contains data on the production and trade in roundwood and in primary wood and paper products for all countries and territories in the world.The main types of primary forest products included in this database are roundwood, sawnwood, wood-based panels, pulp, and paper and paperboard. These products are detailed further and defined in the Joint Forest Sector Questionnaire (JFSQ) (https://www.fao.org/statistics/data-collection/forestry/en). The database contains details of the following topics: - roundwood removals (production) by coniferous and non-coniferous wood and assortments, - production and trade in industrial roundwood, sawnwood, wood-based panels, wood charcoal, pulp, paper and paperboard, and other products. More detailed information on wood products, including definitions, can be found at: https://www.fao.org/statistics/data-collection/forestry/en